The Doctor, Amy, and Lurra woke up to see what looked like a circus around them. \u201cWhat the?\u201d asked Amy. \u201cWhy a circus?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Aquato Family Circus,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cThat\u2019s where Raz was born. They once believed that a curse was placed upon them by a rival family with psychics that they would die in water, so they initially grew to dislike psychics, but now things are slowly turning different, what with there being four psychics in the family. Five if you count Lucretia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCOME ONE, COME ALL!\u201d called Raz\u2019s voice. Everyone turned to see him dressed in a ringmaster costume! \u201cWelcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Great Fiery Circus!\u201d A ring of fire then appeared!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh dear,\u201d muttered the Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd I see from the crowd that we have new volunteers! Welcome, ladies!\u201d said Ringmaster Raz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVolunteers?\u201d asked Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, my dear! You seem like a fine juggler!\u201d Ringmaster Raz then turned to Amy. \u201cAnd you would be a perfect Strongwoman!\u201d He finished with the Doctor. \u201cAnd your tightrope skills would be perfect!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHold on, what about the actual juggler, strongman, and tightrope walker?!\u201d yelped the Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh, those three are still in their tents!\u201d scoffed Ringmaster Raz. \u201cUnless you can convince those do-nothings to get back to work, you three will have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI rather think we\u2019re going to make for poor substitutes,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cLurra, see if you can convince the juggler. Amy, you take care of the strongman. I\u2019ll talk to the tightrope walker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The entrances to each person\u2019s tent were easy to find. It was dealing with the Censors that proved hard. Amy went into the strongman\u2019s tent to find a strongman version of Raz trying to lift a 1,000 pound barbell over his head. \u201cCome on!\u201d strained Strongman Raz. \u201cI can do this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cErm, sir,\u201d asked Amy, \u201ccan I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnless you can help me lift this thing, I doubt it!\u201d replied Strongman Raz. Amy looked the barbell over and saw\u2026well, symbols that she couldn\u2019t make out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre these from the Aquato Circus?\u201d asked Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, they\u2019re a proprietary circus language,\u201d answered Strongman Raz. \u201cI don\u2019t get it! I could lift this before!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I at least touch it?\u201d quizzed Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBe my guest,\u201d sighed Strongman Raz. Amy touched the barbell\u2026and the voices of various people flooded her brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKeep up the family name, son!\u201d said one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a tradition to uphold!\u201d said another. Amy then took her hand off and realized why it\u2019s so heavy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose\u2026are quite heavy expectations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI could carry them on my pinky just fine! Why can\u2019t I lift them now?!\u201d snarled Strongman Raz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRaz, aren\u2019t there psychics in your family as well?\u201d quizzed Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, but-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd aren\u2019t there psychic moments in your acts these days?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, but again-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd didn\u2019t someone ever say they were proud of you for being what you are?\u201d Strongman Raz opened his mouth\u2026then he remembered something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Dad,\u201d he said. \u201cHe and I are-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSon!\u201d called a voice. The two turned to see a lanky man with a beard, a scar on his right eye, and scruffy hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDad?!\u201d yelped Strongman Raz. \u201c\u2026Wait, are you-?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, son, I\u2019m not the real Augustus Aquato,\u201d replied the man. \u201cBut I AM the one you look up to. I know we put a lot on you as an Aquato Acrobat, but I want you to know that I am proud of you being a Psychonaut.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cY-You are?\u201d asked Strongman Raz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be weighed down by what-if\u2019s, son. If you DID stay with the circus, I doubt we\u2019d be working on our relationship.\u201d Strongman Raz considered, then he looked at the Barbell. He tried lifting it with two hands\u2026and raised it above his head! He even tested keeping it above his head with his pinky!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI DID IT!\u201d he cheered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my boy!\u201d cheered the illusion of Augustus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI gotta go!\u201d Strongman Raz said to Amy and the illusion of his dad. \u201cThe Ringmaster\u2019s got a show ready and I\u2019m NOT gonna miss my act!\u201d He left his tent with the barbell in his hand. Augustus faded and Amy smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, you two,\u201d she said to herself, \u201cit\u2019s all on you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lurra Rus arrived at the Juggler\u2019s tent to see a version of Raz trying to juggle but missing and clonking his head. \u201cRaz!\u201d yelped Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, lady, if you don\u2019t mind!\u201d hissed Juggler Raz. \u201cI\u2019m trying to practice here!\u201d Lurra Rus looked at the bowling pins he was trying to juggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cErm, shouldn\u2019t you start small?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCome on, that\u2019s too easy!\u201d replied Juggler Raz. Lurra Rus lifted a bowling pin and noticed a face on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That\u2019s Sasha on it,\u201d she said. She looked at another. \u201c\u2026Who\u2019s the old lady? And why does this one have a younger lady with a serpent hood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my Nona, thank you very much!\u201d hissed Juggler Raz. Lurra Rus developed a theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You\u2019re juggling all these,\u201d she said, \u201cbut you\u2019re forgetting yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHuh?\u201d asked Juggler Raz. Lurra Rus looked around the tent and found three small balls. She examined the faces on them and saw that they all had Raz\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAHA!\u201d she cheered. \u201cThese should do for a starting point!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMiss, what-?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRaz, you managed to juggle everyone\u2019s emotions to try and reach a happy ending for everyone, and that\u2019s a laudable goal, but you can\u2019t make everyone happy. Not until you can juggle your own emotions. Come on. Humor me and start small.\u201d Juggler Raz arched an eyebrow, then he humored her. First he started with tossing one ball, then he tossed two, then he moved up to three. Soon, he was juggling like a pro and practiced for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Lady, toss me that bowling pin with Nona,\u201d he said. Lurra Rus did so. Juggler Raz altered his grip when he needed to catch the bowling pin. \u201c\u2026Okay, now the one with Sasha!\u201d he called. Lurra Rus did so and Juggler Raz was now juggling like a pro. \u201cOkay, last bowling pin!\u201d he called. Lurra Rus tossed him the last bowling pin with his father\u2019s face on it. By now, he was juggling all the balls and the pins without dropping one! \u201cGOT IT!\u201d he cheered. He then caught them all, balls in one hand and pins in the other. \u201cI gotta get back to the big top! I\u2019ve got the perfect idea for a new act! Later!\u201d Juggler Raz rushed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBreak a leg!\u201d called Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Doctor had to fight off a few Censors in order to get to the Tightrope Walker\u2019s tent. When she entered, she saw Raz in a tightrope walker\u2019s outfit trying to walk across a low tightrope and falling off it. \u201cOh dear,\u201d she said. \u201cNeed some help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand!\u201d complained Tightrope Raz. \u201cI\u2019ve done this before! Why is it hard now?!\u201d The Doctor looked at the practice mat and saw symbols relating to what Norma said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh dear, Norma really affected you, hasn\u2019t she?\u201d she sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like I have to choose between keeping Nona happy or telling the outside world what really happened to Grulovia!\u201d grumbled Tightrope Raz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLast I heard, tightrope walkers don\u2019t look down,\u201d mused the Doctor. \u201cThey generally look straight ahead.\u201d Tightrope Raz blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLook ahead?\u201d he muttered. He then smacked his forehead. \u201cLook ahead at the goals, of course!\u201d he grumbled to himself. \u201cHow could I forget that?\u201d He then got back up and tried again, this time focusing on the path ahead instead of what was below him. It took a while\u2026but he made it to the other side! He tried again, setting the rope higher\u2026higher\u2026higher\u2026until he proved he could walk any height! \u201cYES!\u201d he cheered! \u201cI better get back to the Big Top! There\u2019s a show tonight and I gotta be in it!\u201d Tightrope Raz then left. The Doctor followed him and saw Ringmaster Raz talking to the other three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou mean you boys are coming back on?!\u201d asked Ringmaster Raz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStage fright, that\u2019s all,\u201d replied Strongman Raz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose ladies really know how to get a guy going!\u201d said Juggler Raz as he pointed out the Doctor and her friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLadies, the Great Fiery Circus is in your debt!\u201d said Ringmaster Raz. \u201cCome on, my friends! There\u2019s a lot of work to do!\u201d As Ringmaster Raz led his fellows to the big top, the scenery melted away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone woke up in the real world. The Psycho-portal closed and Raz took it off his head. \u201cA pity we had to miss the show,\u201d said the Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think most people would prefer a real circus anyways,\u201d replied Raz as he put his goggles back onto his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRazputin, are you all right?\u201d asked Sasha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMuch better now, Agent Nein,\u201d replied Raz. \u201cDid you or Milla ever have to enter one another\u2019s mind?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d answered Sasha. \u201cWe look out for each other. And you asking for and accepting help is exactly what Psychonauts do for one another. We look out for one another\u2019s mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. I think we need to check on Norma\u2019s mental health. See why she lashed out like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAgreed. Doctor, are you and your friends coming?\u201d The Doctor checked her sonic screwdriver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I don\u2019t think you need our help anymore,\u201d she said. \u201cMy TARDIS is saying that the psychic energy that will come from the Grouping will be at a more manageable state. Just keep an eye on Raz. An empath like him is quite the asset to not only the Psychonauts, but mental health in general.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait, I\u2019m an EMPATH?!\u201d yelped Raz, surprised. \u201cNo wonder I feel like I can feel others\u2019 emotions!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be keeping my eye on you, Raz,\u201d said the Doctor. \u201cCome on, you two. We still have some preparations to make.\u201d The Doctor took her friends back to the TARDIS and off they went!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Doctor, Amy, and Lurra woke up to see what looked like a circus around them. \u201cWhat the?\u201d asked Amy. \u201cWhy a circus?\u201d \u201cThe Aquato Family Circus,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cThat\u2019s where Raz was born. They once believed that a curse was placed upon them by a rival family with psychics that they would die […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[959,1070],"tags":[515,35,963,962,1073],"class_list":["post-7610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-doctor-who-crossings","category-series-4","tag-amy-rose","tag-doctor-who","tag-fan-companion","tag-fan-doctor","tag-psychonauts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7610"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7611,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7610\/revisions\/7611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}